Top 10 Pokémon Games | Best To Worst

Catch' Em All… but maybe leave a few behind.

Opinion by Sabi on May 12, 2025

Since its start as a cute Game Boy RPG more than 20 years ago, the Pokémon franchise has grown into a worldwide hit with consoles, merchandise, anime, movies, and so many other games that you can't even count them all. But no matter how many Pikachu plushies and Master Balls are thrown, not every Pokémon game has the same effect. Some, well, let's just say that even a Magikarp has more bite, are shining gems of nostalgia and game design.

Here is a list of the ten best and worst mainline Pokémon games, not including spin-offs or mobile games. These are the games that started generations of gamers. For Trainers who remember Link Cables and Trainers who are just learning what an HM slave is, this list breaks it all down.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver (DS)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, HeartGold And SoulSilver, Opinion, NoobFeed

People often say that these remakes of the classic Game Boy Color games Gold and Silver are the best games in the series, and they're right. Game Freak improved everything that worked in the first game until it was almost perfect.

You can travel through not one but two regions: Johto and the whole of Kanto. This gives the game an almost ridiculously large amount of content. The world came to life in a way that few games have been able to match since. You could have your Pokémon walk behind you, even a Wailord. The Pokéwalker pedometer was ahead of its time and was a lot like Pokémon GO. With its remastered soundtrack, tighter battle mechanics, and streamlined systems, this was the perfect mix of nostalgia and mechanics.

Not only did HeartGold and SoulSilver have great content, but they also had great care put into them. The Gym puzzles, move tutors, and legendary items all felt new and old at the same time, thanks to small changes that were made to the animations of the sprites.

It's the best because it does more than most modern games while using fewer resources and never getting too big. It's the perfect mix of design, pace, and fandom for the franchise.

Pokémon Black and White 2 (DS)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Pokemon Characters Animated, Opinion, NoobFeed

When Black and White first came out, they divided people. But Black 2 and White 2 improved on everything that Black and White did. It's not just a third version; these are full-on sequels with new characters, areas, Gym Leaders, and a more mature story.

Unova is full of life. Characters change as you play the games, and the stories are more connected than in most Pokémon games. There's even a tournament after the game where you can fight Gym Leaders from all the previous generations. It's kind of a celebration of the franchise's history. The game got a little harder, especially in Challenge Mode, and the pace was great.

There was a lot of extra content in B2W2, from PokéStar Studios to the Pokémon World Tournament. It respected your time and encouraged you to look around. Does the sprite work? This may be the best franchise ever.

The reason it's so high is that it showed Pokémon could make good sequels, please fans, and stay creative without relying too much on nostalgia.

Pokémon Platinum (DS)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Pokemon Manga , Opinion, NoobFeed

The third Diamond and Pearl version transformed a slow and often sluggish base game into one of the series' most complete games.

Battles used to move very slowly, but now they move faster. The story about Giratina and the Distortion World is more interesting, and the Pokédex is more balanced. The Battle Frontier gave players a place to test their teams after the game, which was much-needed post-game spice.

Special praise should be given to the Distortion World, which was both aesthetically and conceptually ambitious and broke away from the series' usual rigid grid design. It was creepy, strange, and something I will never forget.

In Platinum, Sinnoh's charm shone through without its flaws taking away from the fun. And that's the game where Cynthia really lived up to her title as the scariest Champion in the genre.

Pokémon Emerald (GBA)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Pokemon Emerald, Opinion, NoobFeed

When Game Freak regularly released a "third version" to fix bugs and improve the paired games, Emerald was the best of the best. The Battle Frontier was added in Emerald, which took the best parts of Ruby and Sapphire and made them even better. It is still the best place to go after the game.

The tropical feel of Hoenn, the way the secret bases worked, the weather effects, and the double battles were all fun. Plus, the plot brings together Team Magma and Team Aqua, which makes the story more interesting.

The Battle Frontier had more team-building, battle-planning, and AI variety than any other game before it. Fans of competitive games are still begging for it to come back.

What makes it shine: Emerald was Pokémon at its most ambitious during the GBA era. It was the perfect mix of nostalgia and level of difficulty.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Pokemon Legends, Opinion, NoobFeed

It was unthinkable, but this game changed the rules. Legends: Arceus reimagined the series with semi-open-world maps, action-packed gameplay, and a new focus on research and ecology instead of linear battles. It takes place in Sinnoh during the feudal era and is called Hisui in this game.

You can catch Pokémon right away, avoid attacks in real time, and do side quests that make the world feel full and real. The story of the game is based on myths and mysteries, which gives the world of Pokémon more depth than it usually has. The graphics do look like a watercolor painting that was put on a potato, but the gameplay loop is new, quick, and surprisingly addictive.

The agile/strong style system changed how battles were fought by making them faster and more strategic. In addition to adding variety, Hisuian forms paid homage to legends.

It has taken the most risks since Red and Blue and has mostly paid off, which is why it ranks so high. Pokémon felt fresh again for the first time in a long time.

Pokémon X and Y (3DS)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Pokemon X and Y , Opinion, NoobFeed

Pokémon X and Y are the first Pokémon games to be made in 3D. They're not the deepest games, but they're still very fun. The game took place in the Kalos region, which was based on France, and added Mega Evolutions, which is one of the most exciting features the series has ever seen.

This was a great update at the time because it had trainers that could be changed, better battle animations, and a great art style. But it's not hard enough, and the story ends just as it was getting interesting. Content after the game? Almost not present. You still wanted to get lost in Kalos just because of Lumiose City.

Its main strength was a big visual change that set the tone for later games, even though the core structure felt a little rough.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Switch)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Scarlet And Violet, Opinion, NoobFeed

With Scarlet and Violet, the game became truly open-world, letting you fight in any order in Gyms, Team Star, and Titan battles. This makes a game that is full of freedom and character. Paldea is bright, creatively designed, and full of secrets.

But the launch had many performance problems. Textures that popped in, characters that moved at five frames per second, and strange bugs like characters T-posing into nothingness made it feel like an unfinished test. The story arcs are emotional, especially Arven's, but the lack of level scaling and strange pacing make the game less fun to play as a whole.

Still, the Terastal mechanic adds a new level of strategy and changes to improve quality of life, like auto-heal and the ability to see roaming Pokémon, making the game easier to play.

Why it's here: Bad execution ruins great ideas. Game Freak took a risk by flying too close to the sun.

Pokémon Sword and Shield (Switch)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Sword And Shield, Opinion, NoobFeed

The most controversial Switch games were also the first ones that came out. There wasn't much progress made on the Wild Area, and long-time fans were upset that there wasn't a full National Dex. Still, the Galar region has some great things about it, like great character designs (shoutout to Marnie and Raihan!), great music, and impressive Gym battles that felt like real sports events.

But the game's linearity, forgettable story, and overly simple mechanics made it seem like it was trying too hard to please new players while ignoring its more experienced fans.

In short, it's not bad, but it's not very deep. It's so safe that you might forget you played it.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (DS)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Ash, Brock, Opinion, NoobFeed

In many ways, Diamond and Pearl were groundbreaking. They added Wi-Fi battles and trading, the physical/special split, and Sinnoh, which is now one of the most popular regions. It was slow, though. Way too slowly. There were a lot of weird bugs in the game. Saving took longer than a Diglett tunnel, and the Pokédex wasn't very big.

It's undeniable that these games are important to Pokémon history, but they don't feel as good as Platinum. It wasn't all bad, though; we got Lucario, Cynthia, and the lake guardians.

What made it so low on the list? It's basic, but it's wrong. The rest will be hard to get through, but you'll remember the best parts.

Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond (Switch)

Best Pokemon Games Rated, Shining Pearl, Pikachu, Opinion, NoobFeed

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl looked like they would be easy wins on paper. They are new versions of well-known classics. Instead, we got a 1:1 remake with not many changes, chibi graphics that made fans disagree, and no Platinum content at all. The music is good, and the battle system has been updated to work with Gen 8, but this seemed more like a chore than a labor of love.

When fans add Platinum features themselves just one week after the game comes out, something is clearly wrong. Fun was had on the Underground at least.

What's really going on? If your remake makes people want to watch the original again, you failed.

Pokémon isn't just a franchise; it's a tradition for many kids, a way to connect with their friends, and a passion that will last a lifetime for many. That doesn't mean, though, that every entry is the same. Because they were made so quickly and with a lot of charm, some games have stood the test of time, but others show that Game Freak's development cycles are getting worse.

This list isn't just about what sold the most or looked the best. It includes games like HeartGold/SoulSilver, Black 2/White 2, and Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, which were all forgettable flops. Pokémon is more than just numbers and sprites because of its goals, how it's carried out, and its magic.

There are more games in the series coming out soon, like Legends: Z-A. We hope that Game Freak takes more risks like Arceus, improves systems like Platinum, and most importantly, remembers why so many of us still want to be the best, like no one ever was.

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